3 women trainees to fly fighter planes

Three women training at the Air Force Academy near Hyderabad have been found suitable to fly fighter plane, bringing them a step closer to becoming India’s first female fighter pilots, a top officer said.

None of them would have aspiration of flying fighter planes when they signed up the academy in January as doors to the fighter stream were thrown open to women only two months ago.

A high-powered board of officers carried out detailed assessment of the flying capabilities of the 125 cadets training at the Dundigal in which selected 45 of them for the fighter stream, including the three women.